This invention relates to a method and system for announcing, by voice messages, the operating conditions of a plant such as a thermal power plant, or announcing a change or changes in the operating conditions of such a plant, and more particularly to an announcing method and system suitable for application to a plant where a plurality of voice message announcing devices are provided.
A prior art device for announcing the operating conditions of a plant such as a thermal power plant by voice messages is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-59-62193 or JP-A-57-199006. According to the disclosed device, various process variables indicating the operating conditions of the plant are detected, and, when occurrence of an abnormal operating condition is detected, it is automatically announced by a voice message or when a change in the operating conditions is detected, it is also announced by a voice message, so that operators working in the plant can be immediately informed of the occurrence of the abnormal operating condition or the change in the operating conditions.
Practically, it is required to provide an independent voice message announcing device for each of individual suitably-divided units of the plant. When these voice message announcing devices operate independently of one another, voice messages pertaining to different operating conditions are announced simultaneously due to the absence of operational harmony among these devices. Consequently, a problem has arisen in which the announced voice messages mix with one another to an extent that the individual voice messages cannot be distinguished from one another by the operators.